Malala Yousafzai Attends Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Concert, Shares How Her 'Swiftie Journey' Began

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has become more than just a concert. Starting on March 17, 2023, in Arizona, the iconic tour has attracted many fans to see the pop sensation perform live. But one recent attendee stood out among the crowds. Recently, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai joined Swifties in the stands. After this, she took her social media to share a personal story about her connection to music and its significance in her life.

Malala Yousafzai attends Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She attended the epic Eras Tour of Taylor Swift in London with her friends and husband on August 17, Saturday. This marked her ‘first-ever’ musical concert that she attended ever since she became a die-heart fan of the American singer. Sharing some moments of Swift's Eras Tour, Yousafzai reminisced about her childhood memories when she went on a field trip with her friend Moniba to Swat Valley in her native Pakistan.

Taking to her official Instagram, Malala Yousafzai few pictures of her candid experience of Taylor Swift’s concert. Malala’s post features her with her husband Asser Malik and a few friends and the classic swiftie band snapshot. Besides this, the photo series also depicts a few throwback images of Yousafzai and her best friend Moniba during a childhood trip to her hometown of Swat Valley.

What attracts netizens is her heartfelt caption which features various aspects of her post. In her caption, Malala Yousafzai mentions how she went to a waterfall with her best friend Moniba after "having lived through a time where music and art were banned." She further wrote on her gram, "One of my favourite memories from Swat Valley is a field trip I took in middle school with my best friend, Moniba. Giggling, we went to a waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain. We were so excited because we were finally allowed to go to school again and could be outdoors with our friends, laughing and singing together."

The youngest Nobel Prize laureate further wrote about the time when she and her best friend climbed atop a rock and announced they would perform Swift's single, Love Story.

"Having lived through a time where music and art were banned, music felt like a gift. Moniba and I found the highest rock we could, climbed on top of it and announced to all of our classmates and teachers we were going to perform our new favourite song called LOVE STORY.”

She further added, "We sang with all of our heart, taking in the joy we felt every second. That's where my Swiftie journey began. It feels magical that my first-ever proper concert would be to see @TaylorSwift, singing along to every song surrounded by friends."

Music made my friends and me feel confident: Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai further wrote about the past under the Taliban regime, highlighting the importance of music and how the extremist group had banned it in her area in the early 2010s. At just 11 years old, she experienced the Taliban's takeover of her town, which led to the prohibition of music, television, and girls' education in her hometown in Pakistan. By 2012, she gained attention for her outspoken support for women's education and rights.

Malala noted that the situation in Afghanistan has been similar for the past three years, pointing out the parallels with her own experiences.

The caption read, "Three years ago, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. Once again, music no longer plays on the streets, and girls and women are barred from school, work and public life. In Swat, music made my friends and me feel confident and free. And one day I hope we will live in a world where every girl will be able to enjoy music and live out her wildest dreams.”